The Future of Lucha Libre

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Car buying you'll want to tell stories about. Buy your car today on car. Delivery fees may apply Granger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park You're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners Light's about to fail, filters ready to clog, HBack on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind Count on Granger for quality products, easy reordering and twenty four seven support Call one eight hundred Granger, click Granger d. com or just stop by Granger For the ones who get it done You did ask ' you had come off surgery, you were feeling a little fr. I mean, I'd been off for months and then my first matchback, but hey, don't donon't let that bother you right. Wow. Wow. It derailed a whole other championship run that I was schedul off. I No I totally mess. racous All right, this is six feet under a Fanatics and WWE original production And I'm excited. our guest today, my goodness, a three time world champion, two time intercontinental champion, three time United States champion, five time tag team champion. a three time WCW World Tag team Champion eightight time cruiserwight. I'm going to need to take a breath here. O time WCW cruiserweight tag team Champion. He is a grand slam champion. A rooyal rumble winner Hall of Famer and the new Genal manager of triAA The great Ray Mysterio. Wow. How's that for an intro bro? Oh, I would love to hear it again. All right One more time.. Wow, I can't believe that that's a lot of that's a lot of accomplishment. A lot of accomplishments. Wow. They really don't hit you and I'm sure you're very aware of this because you're always on the go. Always on the go. He' never How many times? Three times? eight times. Okay I don't remember Yeah. I don't Yeah, you dont you don't really ever think about your stats until somebody Yeahah until you start reading them out and you're like, dude, I did all that. Wow I appreciate that intro. Well No, bro, man.. I've been a huge fan of yours, man. than you. man, I honestly. What you've done. I mean, shoot, I remember watching you when I was a kid. Oh, Lord, here we What? No I hit our truth with that. I h him on the last on the last spot I hit him with that. He say he like, wait a minute. What's going on. Oh my goodness But was crazy is that You went into the Hall of Fame before I did And you're still active. How did How did that happen? So I'm would love to ask that person the same question because when I was brought up the opportunity to enter the Hall of Fame I was like Wait a minute, it was Hunter I believe that told me As a Hunter, but I'm like, I'm not ready to retire.ike I want to keep going. Right. He goes, Oh, no, no, no, We're not asking you to retire. We just think it's probably the best time for you to put you in the hallall of Fame. This was right when I faced Dom in LA at WrestleMania so It just For them, it felt like a perfect timing. So I said, L, let's do it. If you feel it's the right timing, let's go And little did I know that I would be the only active Hall of Famer in the roster that's still going. Well, and not only that, you've got to be the only Hall of Famer are the only person to be inducted and then within twenty four hours in a match and winning a match againgst a son? Agst my son. Agst your son. I mean you can't plan these things out. No, just happened. just the evolution of this sport is so amazing I truly feel so blessed for all these opportunities that have landed on my lap that I've taken advantage of I hope that I have, I hope that u when I say takaking advantage of meaning that the fans have received them very well as I have and This is this is the big payoff, you know, when you get to talk about moments like this because We're always on the go, so we forget a lot of things. We just don't have time to digest them.. But moments like these make you reminisce and bring you back to those good thoughts and Yeah. Yeah, you know, we always we're always in that we're always in in the grind, right? We're always looking, you can't you can't really, unless we're in a situation like this, you can't sit back and think like, wow, man, I did this, I did this. I did It's like, what am I going to do next? Right. And which for I mean, you you broke in in what eighty eighty nine. eighty nine. Yeah. So I broke in in eighty seven. Oh wow So I mean, that's not a lot of that's not a lot of difference between No, not really. No. And I think what you're what two years older than me? I'm just I was messing with you man. a m. was I wasing. I was gauing. He was doing some quick math. He like, No, man, you're much older than I am. I was so I was fourteen years old in eighty nine. Woa, that's wow. Isn't that crazy? I had no physique. They look nothing like a wrestler. Why they gave me the opportunity? I guess and back then, like wrestlers looked grizzled, like big. like yeah, so I looked like a kid with the mask on. That was were a kid. Yeah for. Yeah. Was it true that you dropped out of high school, but your parents gave you the blessing for that? or is that not true? No, that is true. so When I started at fourteen I began to wrestle locally in Tuana still was going to school every morning, I would wake up cross the border Uh Montgomery High School in San Diego and finish high school Go to my part time job Godfather's pizza. workored from like four to six, two hours, sometimes two and a half, and then was done there, take the trolley back to the border, cross the border takeake the cab or the bus the house I would have roughly about half an hour, forty five minutes to do homework. and then eight o'clock wrestling school started, then I would have to go to wrestling class, which did everything throughout my day to wait for those last two hours of my day because I really love being there. But I wrestled for fourourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen till about seventeen. and at age seventeen is when tririple Lay was gonna start. And I remember Conan gave me a call and he goes, Oh, here's your opportunity You want to come wrestle in Mexico? Now's your chance what's going on? He goes, We're getting ready to start this promotion, AAA. And this is where you want to be. I' like, I can't leave. I said, I'm in eleventh grade. I said, My parents aren't gonna let me just take off. He goes, Don't worry, I'll talk to them What about my girlfriend? Well, if she loves you, she'll wait He had the wh pitch up, which she did. She waited for me. She even helped me. and And everything just kind of foundll place. He convinced my parents to go to Mexico that I can go to Mexico during summer vacation. When that happened, never came back Everything just started to That's wild expxand. get bigger and bigger my first exposure also crazy enough to be able to say that I was at the first everver tripleA show on live television? at the se The full circle now is like Now that's crazy. It is it is really It just kind of dawned on me as you were talking. like you start there when you're seventeen And now here you are the The general manager that's it. Isn't it crazy? And ye. And I don't know that you know there will be many people that would argue this, probably the greatest mask wrestler of all time Obviously I give credit and respect to those that came before me, my uncle being one of the most important ones because without him, I would not have this name carry it, honor it U and before that, you know, the legends like El Santo, Mil Mascar as Blue Dmon, like these guys paveed the way for us to eventually get to where we're at now to see Lua Lve, the evolution and how the sport is just so Not not only now belved in Mexico, but worldwide now Yeah it's crazy. It it is nut. You know, it's crazy people ask me, you know, who my favorite wrestler was growing up as a kid. It was a Mil Moscis. He used to He used to go to Paul Bosch is H usedst to wrestling man. That's when I was, you know, I was a kid. man, I just thought, man with all, you know, the mask and the the different mask and it was always like which mask is he going to wear? Yeah. And I had a crazy moment where So I mean, you know, obviously being a huge fan of his as a kid And then when I was in WCW, right, he came in, he was still working Right and, uh I came in and I was like, holy crap. This is like mid nineties, earlyies Yeah ear early ear ear eighty nine. Yeah. nineteen eighty nine.. It was like two times that happened. That was with Nomoscis and with Andre. Oh wow. L I remember as a kid Like going they used to do the they used to do at the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston. Yeah They would do the live interview segment So like all you that's when you could get out of your seats and then run around the the podium R Paul Bos would do the interviews and I remember I remember vividly Andre coming down like you know, the Andre toured, you know, he went to all the territories, right? And he was in for two weeks and I remember him coming down and sticking my hand out in his hand. likeike it was yeah, I think I was, I don't know, mayaybe Levven eleven years old Were you old? Were you big boy back then? I was, but not I mean, I was still I was an eleven, twelve year old kid. Right. And I remember I just vividly remember how big his hand was Yeah. and like it was one of those like movie moments where I was just like staring at my hands like what a gi It was ye. But it was crazy to have have those moments. Yeah. you know, with people watching them as a kid and then getting into the business and them still being there. and it was like, it's gotta be crazy. Yeah, It was nuts, man. And when you were talking about M mosccus, I remember being a kid watch when my uncle would take me in the locker room, which was random and he happened to be there I would sit and I'd be waiting to see if that mask would come off Have you not heard the story When I talked about working with him? No In WCW, this is no lives in San Antonio I worked with him. I didn't work with him. It was onm the same card with him. rightight? So he worked before I did And then I worked and I came back and I had to drive somewhere else. So I go in, I go into the shower Bro, he's showering with his hood on. He's got his gimmick on So I'm over here and I just kind of keep looking over my shoulder because he was in the corner. And then like real quick, like he took his mask off. He put it on the on the like the cold water. It was like it had a double spicket kind of thing on a double handle there. He takes his mask off, boom, he washes his face and everything real quick rines it off and puts his mask back on with his back towards you, right? Yes. The whole time. Yeah. it was at a hard straight angle. And was like To me, it was cool. he wasacting his g. E even yeah, I was like, wow.. And you were already a grown man. Yeah Yeah. I'm a grown man. trying to figure out who he is. Yeah. Like that whole mystique of wanting to know who's behond the mask is it's As a kid, it's very intriguing I'm sure now for you, you're kind of All these young kids that, you know, are coming up through AAA. Yeah and got to and know your journey to You know, it's funny because I don't think a lot of times like when I'm some when I'm somewere I don't think of Okay, you're the undertaker, you know, I'm just there, right? I'm the same way. right? I don't ever think about it. Yeah, I don't I don't put on my character hat like every time I'm, you know, I'm just I am who I am. That's it. I just But other people don don't think that would, right? No. It kind of blew me away when I started going down there and like every time we would be leaving TV Everybody wanted to take pictures And then it then I have to don o, Okay, there's there's a reason, right? I don't think that way. I don't know in that that frame of mind, but Um Man, it is really nuts. So when you left Mexico Which what was the first territory you went to? So from the age of fourteen to seventeen, I would just do local shows, bars in LA, underage. so they would tell me, donon't take off the mask. Make sure you go in there J heal there. If they tell you or ask you for an ID, just tell them I must speak English. I speak Spanish. N, Peron. So Conan did a lot of those bookies for me. And I got to wrestle around my uncle and Conan and Damien six hundred six six Th then when I went to Mexico for the first time, it's like, okay, we're gone, saave money. Here we go We're on our journey We want to become wrestlers. We want to be on TV every week 'use that's what I was watching. at that time, CMLO, Arena Mexico. That was the big show. U And then until ApleA kicked off That's when things now we had a competition. Now we had the WCW and the WW during that time. so Um just Raised money No they were going through paperworks In the meantime that the company got started They got stuck in between We ran out of money because we went as a group, it was psychosis Damian, another local wrestler from Tiwana myself. Halloween It's like seven of us and out of those seven Only a few hung on Until the very end or I shouldn't say to the very beginning of AAA. But during that time is when We were living in a hotel When the money was gone They gave us a place to stay at at one of the wrestlers gym. So he gave us accommodations there. We would sleep under the ring you know, barely made it because we had literally no money. I remember going out on Sundays and calling Angie at the time Payphone, like back home My God ye I can't do this anymore. I' crying seventeen year old kid, you know Doesn't know left from right and just has this image of a dream oming to arrest her. That's it She's like, No, Chill relax. So she would Uh she said, I'm going to figure it out. she put her herer career on the side U and got a part time job and she was sending me a little bit of money uil we got things going. onnce it kicked off, it's like All the territories in Mexico I ran right after the first show in Veraruz It was like every week, four or five shows a week, four or five shows a week. And it was Its just so much fun because This is something that you're really passionate about and you want to learn and you want to get the fans to know you and who you are and what you do and just create this image of a wrestler of what I grew up watching, which was my uncle you know, u And it started unfolding, you know, little by little, doing twelve, fifteen hour bus rides.ee to wrestle one night as soon as you finish Hurry up back to the bus station because the last bus is about to leave. You got thirty minutes. Let's go. goo to the next town. Yeah, it's seventeen. I mean that's a really young age to be able to try and process all of that stuff. I mean, you were just living with your parents and, you know, things were taken care of and now you're at seventeen trying to figure out Like obviously, we don't know everyone's story, but do you think I always I always think that them those kind of situations and coming up like that Always helped me you know, the grind of survival Yes on top of trying to learn the craft and and to be successful and not really under, you know, it's so much information and Stuff to take in I again, I don't know everybody's story, but I think that element I think it It separates of a lot of people a lot of times and how how well they do in our business because theyve they've really had to suffer and had to evaluate. just like you say, like calledld Angie,, you know, I was crying I wanted to come home. Yeah. It's like You know, those are moments make or break you. Yeah. likeike you have to either like this is so ingrained R in you, you know, it was like I know for myself, Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm living in my car I'm bouncing I and doing just about anything that I can do Yeah because you know, I left I left college had a full ride Basketball scholarship, everything was taken care of. I got it pretty pretty easy. I got to make too a certain degree, that's probably a little bit more difficult because you already have a plan And right? Yeah, ye. And you let it go in order to follow your dream. Yeah, which is cool. Yeah. And and too, when you do things, especially You know, you're gonna wait, Ill never forget my dad who later became my biggest fan and supporter. but initially it was like, wait a minute, son You? You have a free education here. Right. You can go and get this degree and all you have to do is put a little ball through a hoop and keep your grades up And you're gonna walk away from all of that I was like, Yeah, dad, that's that's exactly what I'm going to do Wait a minute. Like he just could not understand it. And then obviously trying to be what he thought was leading you know, giving me the guidance that I should have like Like you are like any fother would do, right? Yeahight ye. Are you dumb? Yeah. Like you have it all right here Yeah. and you're gonna to go Andd be a professional wrestler Like, how don what do what is what's that going to do for you? Right? I'm like, Dad, I don't know. I don't know what that's going to do for me, but I know it's here. Okay, I was about to ask you, was there something deep down the side that just told you goo this direction. and I had obviously, I had no I had no idea right, you know where I would end up and what I would be able to accomplish. but knew that I knew that that was the avenue that I wanted to take. R. And again, like from my family to my coaches and everybody, it was just like, right, this guy's the stupidest guy on the planet. againain And because of all that negativity thenen it was like Oh no I'm proving y' all wrong And then I got hard headed and like, no, I'm not going to accept any help right from anybody, R? Right? Be you know, after the fact, like, okay, he's gone from school and you know, he's struggling. My parents like, canan we do something for you? And I was like, no We don't believe in this You don't believe in what I'm doing.. I'm going to do it on my own., whichich was probably I mean now, yeah, it was I wish I could say, yeah, I had the four, you know I did the right thing. right Like it was a struggle. Yeah. Like again, like I had no job, no training, nothing to do. so I wonder if there's something out there in the universe that makes you believe in yourself to the degree that takeake the path that you feel you should take And that eventually turns into very successful path whichich we don't I mean, there's nothing that can confirm that Like I go back now and watch videos of me wrestling in AA, like the first couple of shows What what did they see in me like Okay, I had a mask and I was doing something pretty but it was like, I was so green. Youight. What is it that they saw? I don't know, somethingomething that I didn't see. I saw enough, right? encourages you again, like, well, you know, I don't know anything. They know something. Right.''s There's got to be something here. Yeah. And I think too, we're our harshest critics too. That is true. Right. So have when you go back and you look at that stuff, you look, okay, well, this is where I'm at now and this is what I've done. and these are all my accomplishments and that Right. You know, you don't you don't have that then, you know, you don't you don't see it, but yeah It's u It's incredible. And going back to it, I think Um Yeah I think everybody like, o, I think I can do that or can I can do this. But there's but when we met with challenge A lot of times that's the makeak or break. Yeah, right? It's like ye, Okaykay, this is too hard and there's that certain thing in certain people that say I don't care how hard it is. This is what I'm going to do. right where sometimes People like, well, I really want to be this, but I don't want to put that I don't know that I can put that work into it or that struggle and overcome that. Yeah. And I think that's what separates people from being U, you know, from being good T being great to being legendary. Yeah. And I think that's just something that Some people have in them and ye Um I goodness you you you you had it in you, man. I tell you the first person that saw that was Conan. I mean, without him, I would He was the one that was opening up the doors for me to be able to go where he went. He took me along with him. So And I was about to mention that that He believed in you from day one and Yes. I mean, if you think about wrestling friendships, that's got to be the longest standing But I'm sure he's family to you now. Oh, yeah. But I mean, my gosh, I'allve been together since literally from day one. I met him when I was eleven years old My uncle, he came down Jacked up dude was in the Navy was boxing and He came down at Tiwana and wanted to learn wrestling, him and his friend And uh And littleittle in no time like turn him into a wrestler you know,, which If you would have told him back then, he's going to become one of the biggest stars in Mexico. come on. But eventually he took the risk. againg, another guy that didn't know enough but was willing to take the trip and be in the mix with all the top Mexican superstars at the time. and Take the beating in order to learn and to become who he became. let me tell you, he killed that induction speech for you. Oh my God. Wow, that was so good. Yeah, I'm so honored that he was able to I said there's nobody that knows me better than him. And sure enough, the moment he said, if she loves you, she'll wait for you And she did. She w we got married. 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That's what I was getting to. Like Allia, I'll forget though. I think she was like four in our locka room. We we a Louis Vuitton headcarf for her shoes and the cutest sweetest thing ever. Dom was so cute What happened? L What happened? Like what went wrong? Is there something you can pinpoint that goes Yeah. I think the only thing that I can possibly pinpoint is I never pressured them to follow my lead or my footsteps. They had the option to pick whatever sport, whatever they wanted to do in life And I think with DOM, there came a point where He was nineteen, had already graduated, was going to Southwest with College Um which He was just masking whatever he was doing. Apparently he wanted to play football, but he was overweight, he was just he got lazy afterfter graduating. And I pulled my side I like, bro, what are you doing with your life? like you have to get something going. And that's when he asked me and goes, I want to see if I can make it in wrestling So the fact that it came randomly from him and I never insisted, I think that has to speak for the individual that he is now. L how he just soaked in, embraced it, and said, I'm going to run with this. This is what I feel. And every now and then when he needs advice, he'll ask me. He doesn't listen proly.uh? He doesn't listen probably the wayays He listens when he wants to listen. I can tell already. But overall, like he I would have never have thought he would He gained the success, he's gained an Such a short am time Four years, five years Five years. went to five years. So did it just make his head explode like as soon as he got like? probablyably I think so. It a braising right? Oh maybe it was a mustache. and the long hair The long hair is long hair got the brick brood mustache.. Yeah, man. He was so sweet. He was so sweet. There wass a picture I don't know if you ever seen on the internet, right? Yes. I think he's what five or six, maybe He had to been six years old. Yeah sitt on my lap. Yeah. I' like, wow. We' talk about feeling old, rightight? right? Oh man Hees you know, he obviously he's the, you know the mega champion now, right? The AAA Mega Champion and I have to deal with him. I'm like Where is that little kid that little kid What happened What happened right? He never spoke. Now you don't shut up. Oh you know, he talks too much now Way too much Oh man U But as a parent, I got to say it just makes me feel so Proud Right, to see his growth and to see him take on his own path. Yeah and it's cool because I think I think Um It would be hard, it would be hard for anyone to say like Well, I got here strictly on my dad's name, right? I think obviously that openens some doors, right? That may have not opened as quickly, but I think from what he's done U in such a short amount of time, R. And not obviously, you know, you guys aren't obviously on the same page and you're not out there patting him on the back and right. I mean, I'm sure you would probably like to if would he would, you know, if he had listen to you Yeah. But I mean as as a father and understanding this business and making a name for yourself, how important that is. I mean, it is. you have to be As much as you want to slap him in the head, you have to be extremely proud of him. Yes Yes, one hundred percent. and kind of just let him go, let him do his own thing. I did feel that there was a bit of awkwardness or maybe even U a struggle right before He became the person he became like he didn't feel like he was fitting in being by my side. And I completely understand that. So best thing for him to have done is to Detach from his own father And and then on top of that, embrace that character that he I guess he envisioned in his mind. and Seeing who he is now. Yeah. as we know you have to you have to identify with you could be whatever character you you want to be. But if it doesn't resonate within you, right, you're just It's gonna be man. Yeah, you know. You can tell that he is extremely comfortable in who he is and how he does things. Yeah And You know, obviously,, you know, it's different from how how dad did it. Oh yeah, one hundred percent. But he is his own man and I mean, again, this's just something, you know, in this industry and how this in this business works. you have to be proud. Yeah. I mean, that's just Yeah to have the What is have the the presence of mind to want to Okay, this is the safe route This is good this will work, right But This can be even expentially bigger Yeah because I am so different from my father. Yeah, right. And I am making and I am blazing my own path and, you know, I like telling the story because U, when it happened That's how that's actually when I found out that Okay, this kid He has his own confidence and Eventually, he's going to come and ask me for advice down the road But It's just going to be to hear what I have to say then at the end Like anybody else, he'll make his own decision. During the pandemic is when u He comes and he goes, Heyops, he goes on They u They want me to have a match against Seth I was like, oo. I don't think you're ready Oh. What do you think? He goes, I don't know I said, man, remember, I'm just going to tell you this You only have one shot to make it Obviously, we didn't have fans in the crowd. you have the monitors and it was more reserved than private I said, but still, keep in mind that it's one shot, makeake it break it. And he's like, yeah. I'm gonna do it. All right. Rpectf. Yeah. mean And he did. And so that kind of led me on to the character that he is now, you know, Seet, sweet Dom. would be such a good sleez bag. Right? Like just a sleeze bag. I love him so much. I remember thinking I actually can't stand watching him in the best possible way. Right? On TV. 'cause he and Lve, Glly, what a pair. Oh my go. what a pair. It makes you hate him. It makes me just That's it sometimes I like Oh They' so good. They're the modern day Mickey and Mallory You ever watch Natural Born killers? Yes, ye. Yes. Woody Harrelson. Yeah. ' her name I can't think of her name.. Yeah. Well that such that's when I see them when I see them together, that's what I think of is Mickey and Mallory But so okay,'s that's enough about him. There might be I just wanted to add I GM I might be able to Because natural born killers, he was bald, so maybe we can Oh she should, right? Make it makeake it more believe. I'm the I'm the shame. like food for thats. Okay I knew Marcella knew what she was doing she made you GM. That' forward thinking. I like that. Right away. But Dom may not be the only mysterio that's going to grace the ring, right? Well Yes from uh, just recent news, u been going back and forth trying to see if Allia was was motivated enough to go up to the PC and dedicate some time to training, like full time. She tried it out one time with me Last year, October, she loved it. She just jumped in the ring once. I said, okay, let's try and set you up to go up there for about two weeks, see if you can wake up every day and do this Monday through Friday weekends off and then back again Monday to Friday she did two weeks And she really loved it I said, okay. Okay. I was't I wasn't expecting that. And this was all prior to her This was WrestleMania, the first one we had in Vegas Dad, when dot you take me to the ring? When do you take me to the ring? I said, when you graduate I'll take you to the ring. So she graduated in July of last year. That's from college. That's from UCSD Human biology Uh Show me a diploma. He' okay. I'm ready Tk her up in October of last year She loved it. Sent her again this year in February. for two weeks, she loved it and now We are in May and in May and she's getting ready to go up there and establish herself at the PC. She'll kill it. So I'm excited. like this is I couldn't If you would have told me, your kids are going to grow up and become wrestlers, both of them I think you're wrong. The cool thing is I've never push the sport downown their throat It's all came out of them, like they wanted to be a part of this That's the best way. I mean, I think if you push it on them, they they don't they wouldn't want to be part of it. and yeah. I remember her being in the ring though with you in the storyline and Angie was out there and Dom's out there. Yes. and think it was punk, right? The saying happappy birthday or something And she was like And it was so natural and so believable and we all want to kill him because sweet little, you know is already just golly. Yeah crying in your arms and man Shes Yeah, it it's it's it's going to be very interesting to see her development, you know for the next year Um, But we were talking about this. like If that really happens, I would I would love to create some histerory. L this is a historical moment for be able to have shared the ring with my son become the first father and son tag team champions in WWE and then later on feud against each other and we had our differences. But now with my daughters, it's like What what can we do there? Like this is this is a historical moment. Because I really don't have that many accoladtes. I mean, just Hall of Fame, GM. I mean Yeah I mean, really. What are you br br to the table. Why are you backrere're you're in the twilight of a mediocre career Mother, comeome on. Isn't that crazy? Oh my God. He Hicap M, you and her versus Dom Oho, you and Alia against Dom. Alia versus Dom. O, Dom and liv.. Oh, Domin there you go. I mean, why live up. I w sayve that for ApleA man I just say you know as GM that's exactly bring it home Rother bring it home. Wow I can't even imagine how cool that that would be Yeah. I mean Really, I don't know that Like I'm racking my brain. I may be missing it, but be able to have be in the ring Not only with your son, but then your daughter. I don't know That's great. Yeah, that is is nuts, man. and that is that's very cool that that's a possibility. Um, Man You know what you could also do you could do the handicap match, keepeep live out of it, so it's just a family affair. Right. Live on the outside and Angie on the outside Oh somebody might get hurt I don't think it would be Angie. That's' say right.. That would be so good. Ra got slapped by Angie. Yes. sure did. Trying to ruin our thanksing dinner? U Yeah. But overall, like yeah, just to think about a moment like that Um You know, and again, a lot of things happen throughout time and You kind of, oh, remember that time or remember this historical moment. but like this will like really make up Stamp on Just in general in wrestling itself, you know, we've had so many Dynasties of families in wrestling, the von Erics, the guuerreros in Mexico, I mean, the Wagners, right, you know, Vianos, the Brusselss. But I don't know if there's ever been a father wrestler that has been able to share the ring with their son and their daughter at the same time in the same match That's really crazy. That's crazy. Yeah. Let's shif gears here, man. When you come over from WCW in where year did you come over to WWE? When they bought the company? They bought it in two thousand in two thousand? two thousand, yeah, somewhere in there? Yeah, two thousand one, I think. Yeah. When that happened, obviously the rumor was going around after the last show, they're like, yeah, well some of the contracts, they're buying out, other contracts, they're just letting them run out, peoplee they don't want to hire, blah blah blah. I' like, oh, okay. And then when it came to my contract, they JR told me, likeike Rpe, we would really want to do business with you, but Let your contract run out and then come April of two thousand two, you we'll sit down and negotiate a good deal for you. Okay. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. So from two thousand one to April of two hundred two, I did something that that I really wanted to do is wrestle in Arena Mexico with CMLL at the time. So I did a couple shows there. Who's that? Yeah, It I don't know if I've ever heard of that. What is LMCA what LCM? LCMt Look it up. That was just You guys heard of that No, No one. Yeah. I don't think it's around anymore. Or it might be, I don't know. So yeah, I was there for maybe two months and uh Okay, did that Bcket list, cheheck it off And then I went to Puerto Rico and I worked in Puerto Rico until I got the call from JR. And I actually thought that they didn't want to hire me because I had heard so many stories that Vince didn't like smaller talent and blah blah blah, Man I was undecisive. likeike I didn't know what to believe. Is it true? Is it not true? No, it was true. Yeah. I'm sure No Yeah. Yeah, right? No ye. No I'll get there, but go. So Angie were already Angie and I were already making plans. you know, we had just had a Lah in two thousand one. so It's like, okay, let's just see what happens. Let's write it out. In the meantime, I have work. I'm grinding, so we're good. And yeah, two thousand two, I get a call Sit down, JR signign a deal and Rus' history Well, I yeah, rest is history, but I know when you first like when you first come in, there was that that stigma Oh, you know, of like, oh, he's way too small. rightight? It's just I mean, obviously you did some incredible the stuff that you did in the ring was incredible, but I think in the old man's eyes, it was just like, I don't don't I don't I don't think so and I mean, and correct me if I'm wrong, like I think you almost had to You almost had to change your style a little bit. likeike even in the way that you sold and learn I think because you know, you were so used to doing all the You know, the incredible right, you know, the incredible moves, like I think it was when you really realized like, dude, I have to sell my ass off to to to really have get these people on my side and then the key to doing that obviously is being able, okay, yeah, I can I'm going to sell, but I'm never going to die Right. And then I think that's to me and correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, that is when when the fan base like dude, this is This is somebody that we can really get behind because right. He look I mean, he's he's he's twice three times as small as this dude, but man, he just won't give up And then when he does, you know, when when you hit all these crazy moves too, man. it took you to my opinion. took you to a completely different level. No, I think you're absolutely right. So right before WCW was bought out Uh that's Roughly around maybe a year before is when I lost the mask Nash and Hall and then I was already working with a little bit more with on with the bigger guys. had an opportunity to work with Bambam Bigaloo who was awesome. My God I love working him. And just just the I got a I got a feel of What it felt like to be in there with the bigger dudes and how to sell and move around and be creative with my offense. But it wasn't until WWE when I came in that I really started getting feedback from the agents, from the people I was working, you including Angle, Eddie would always pull me aside Um, you don't end It was a it was a learning process because everything was so fast in WCW. Right. So fast, so fast paced. because we really didn't have a direction. They didn't they wouldn't tell us. Yeah. and here did have to learn a certain direction. storytele back then. Yeah. Yeah. And it was such a learning experience for me that it made my work much more easier and believable and I like Oh, this is I can adapt to this. It was just I've always been Yeah willing to learn a different style or technique or a form of adding to to my work that is going to make it improve and nothing could have happen better than to to listen to all the people that I work with and that I learned from here in WWE coming in in two thousand two. Yeah. you know, I know from my perspective, like I feel like I have some of my best matches were against smaller guys because there's such a, you know, there's such a good story that you can tell I know the few times that we worked, it was me trying to use my strength and my size to bum rush you and you just being too slick and staying away from me cat and mouse. And you know, once you invest in that story, it's like, o, okay, okay, okay. boom,oy if Taker ever does get a hold of him, he's going to kill him. But he just can't get to him. R, rightight? And if you apply and put You know, if you figure out the story and a lot of guys Kurt and A few times I get to work with Eddie too, it's like What makes sense? Well goo after a leg, V, you know. m you don't want me on my feet. You want me down. Right. And Um, yeah, it's I knew once you Because you had again, you had some incredible matches in WCW the match with Eddie. Oh my gosh. that's one of the that's one of the most fun matches I've ever, you know ever watched. Yeah, it was incredible. What And you guys told an incredible story But yeah, once I think once that light went off with you then the sky was the lim obviously. I mean, with three world title reigns Yeah. Yeah. I mean, everything just kind of again started unfolding and presenting itself. you know, with the time, but but, uh Yeah, I again, we don't do this work on our own. You know, we always need that guidance that, uh, the right person opponent to work with that'll build you up to the next level. And the first one the kind of like pull me aside was Kurt Angle at that time. I remember he told me They gave him three opponents to work with for Summer sllam, which was my first payer view with WWE in Long Island. And he said, I chose you because I've always wanted to work with you since I've seen you in WCW. I'm like, oh, truly honored. And he was like the first guy that kind of pulled me under his wing was learning all these newew methods of how to make my craft much better. And you just adapt it, you do it and back then we were doing it so regularly that it just becomes a habit, a good habit that you invest the time and the effort to making it work and then it just sticks. Okay, then what's next? What do I have to learn now?ight The one thing I never was able to do is because I've always been I've always had fear of speaking in front of public. Like I'm Yeah. raaise your hand to speak up in front of the class. Oh, no, no. No I can't. So for some reason, the mask gave me a little bit of coverage, but I just I could never get comfortable on the mic as much as I wanted to It was just almost impossible And the times that that I did it was like it came out of A lot of u will to do it, but yeah, I don't know how you were. No, I could not that I was a great promo guy, but like I could be in front of a hundred thousand people and cut a promo. Yeah and not flinch. You put me in a B Mark Callaway in front of fifteen people had I didn't any part of it. if I had to be myself, Yeah, I was like, n, I don't want any part of this at all. Yeah. I was completely the opposite. There's so many times that I passed up on speaking gigs and stuff like that. It was like, it's not myight And then I go out and, you know do an hour at my Hall of Fame and then' like this guy never talks and now he don't shut up. What the hell I gets you in trouble sometimes too, but It's a You, I think, redefined U what a top top guy looks like honestly, because especially with WWE, you know, everybody was so big. obbviously Kurt and but I mean. the Vince is, you know, his f type, right were the big big dudes. Yeah. And u you you I think you were able to redefine for a whole generation coming behind you, that hey you don't have to be six foot six and three hundred pounds to be you know, a top top guy. rightight. So You opened a lot of doors, I think, for a a lot of talent coming up behind you. Right. I think The fact that I was Hispanic that I was a size You know, um not the stereotypical size of a wrestler. But on top of that, the Three The stuff that I was doing at the time that was hardly ever Like a lot of people had never seen a lot of the stuff that I was doing likeike all that put together just opened up this new vision for fans to go, o, this is pretty cool. Even like going back to WCW, like the fact that we were given an opportunity there and there was so many of us L Parkca, Hoving to Guerrera, Super Co, like Why is it out of all of them I was the only one that stuck there with like they're all gone. L psychosis, there would be no Ray mstterial without psychosis. You know, he was just so he made my work look so crisp and clean like U just amazing, amazing to work with Um But obviously we all take different paths. We don't dedicate fully or commit to our craft sometimes and that kind of derails you. U in my case I think just the passion overall and wanting to be part of this and taking it to whatever level was the next level at the time kind of u I The fans fed off that energy and really invested in me. Yeah. At the end of the day Obviously We are no one without God first and foremost, but overall, the fans are the ones that give you the respect and the props that you eventually want to earn, right? Yeah, no absolutely fans, but but it has to, you know, it has to come from from the talent as well. Like I mean, you can Yeah know, if you don't put that work in, because I see a lot a lot of people get comfortable you know, they get they get to a certain level and they think, okay, I've made it. Were you wereere you like that at some point? No, like that's the one maybe to a fault. like I was never I was never satisfied. Im same way, right? L same way. from even You know, back in you remember back in the day after we would do u a Premium live event. Yeah. The next day at Raw and Catering, they'd have the monitor playing and everybody was I could never, I could never sit there And watch my stuff Like I just couldn't because I didn't want to hear I didn't w want to hear like, o dude, that was great or that was I wanted to sit by myself and watch and pick it apart. likeike man, I wish I had done this right here because then I would have got this here. That's how you learn and you and you expand and you become better O you can understand. You can only understand that. Yeah, but you can't you can I always tell people Never be content Because there's always another place to go. Yeah., even you know, I go back to the attitude era. Yeah, right. Steve was the guy. Yep There was a bunch of guys that were right there under him that was always, you know, it was such a healthy competition because everybody wanted his spot. Yeah. you know, Maybe it was going to happen, mayaybe it wasn't going to happen But man, it was that was the spot that you wanted to have. R. And you know and you just like I was never like And I was a again, I was a more of an attraction for most are not most of, but a lot of my career, I was the attraction But even even that, which is a great spot to be in, like No, I want to be I want to be even more. Yeah. And I think that's how I think that's how you last as long as as we both did Yeah is by always thinking there's more. There's more, there's more, there's more. Yeah And's just a you know, that's just an approach that I don't know that I know there's there's a lot of people that have it, but there's a lot of people that don't have it and they get comfortable and then they wonder why they stagnate or You know you have to continue to evolve, whether it be your repertoire, your gear, your personality then you have to continue to evolve to keep your keepeep everything fresh and moving forward, man. I think you did say best. I you never be content with what you're presenting, you always I was always the hardest critic you know, going back and watching my mattress. I knew exactly what I should have done at a certain point of the match, that could have made it just much better. Yeah. But yeah, that's Were you like that? Yes. Yeah. same way. Yeah ye. It's like that's the only way you can improve and get better, right? Yeah. That's the only way. There's the difference between loving and just kind of being obsessed with it. Right? You know Yes Big news. WWE and sports fans, the world's number one sports fan festival, Fanatics Fest is making its return to New York City Fanatics is bringing you closer to the league, team, superstars and athletes you love across Four Action Pack Days in July Meet your favorite WWE superstars. Get your hands on exclusive merch Catch live podcast and interact with the biggest names in sports Tickets are on sale now and fans of the podcast get a ten percent discount by using code Take her tenin at checkout How's your health these days? Knees good? Knees are good. She've done a lot of stem cell, right? Stem cells, Yeah. att least I'm actually due for a treatment which U I should be doing it sometime this year But overall, I was talking to take her but our cold plunge experience. When I bought my first one, I was sitting out outside my My bedroom like, okay. it's already here. filled up with water. It's at forty five degrees. Okay, I'll go I think the lowest is thirty eight I got to get. I'll just get used to it first Jump in the first thing in the morning A whole month and a half went by and I was like, tomorrow tomorrow.id didn't want to do it. We Now that I'm so hooked on it I can't So you go every morning. Every morning. That's the first thing. How long Three minutes. It's it's at thirty nine Oh no. So yeah. and u It's like that's it's a must for me now. Like if I don't do that, I don't like I'll just feel like like I'm dragging throughout the day But as soon as I wake up, I'll jump in there and I'm good to go. It's a mind game. Like we it is. Like he did it for a while, then he got out the habit. and then like I can get bad? You can't stop. You' actually h in the road No, no, no you can. I hate the cold. Like I'll get in like I'll do a limb. I'll stick my foot in there. I'll stick my in there, I'll lean all over or I' squat down it, I canot s I can't. It's bad hot. No. And I always tell myself same thing like It'll be the hardest thing I do all day. Let me just do it first. That's the hardest thing I'll do all day at prompt I gotten in the habit it twice And then our pump broke and hadn't worked. dang made that broken. Yeah He went broke it just let it I just let it get dirt. Yeah. You gotta think about it like what's three minutes out of my day? I know That's it. I know. And it goes by so fast. like But there's certain areas of me that just like burn, they hurts. likeike they're so cold My feet is like the first thing I don't Uh to the back of my neck So I don't I don't stick my head in until like the last fififteen, twenty seconds But as soon as I go in I'll either keep my hands like this O my arms? Do you do breathing? Yeah. I'm so controlled so controlled with the breathing. Yeahah Allright I've realized that now recently, that Be I have carpal tunnel. Yeah. If I control my breathing while I'm in there, And I'm telling myself It's your your fingers are gonna you're going to start getting motion in your fingers and as soon as I start doing that, it's like I start getting sensibility and I can move my fingers in the water like that. Which is wild, huh? Beause our brains really do our brain are. Yeah, I know. It's crazy. Um So anytime I have my hand, if I sleep and I sleep like this My hand will eventually get numb and I have to shake it off and extend it, put it over my head, something. just get it going again. Yeah. Angie loves competing against me Oh my god I love that. I'll do three minutes. She said, three mines. I did five. You don't need five. You need three. Is that I still beat you. was ye Yeah, but I did five. That's funny. That's funny. There's not many things that I will let her beat me at, but that might be one I wasait He said, let you. Yeah, capapital L Yeah You don't let me beat you I just beat you.'s not a come on. Oh jeez. here we go. Here we go.. When y'all had that match, I don't remember where we were at Cleveland, Ohio. Oh, you don not remember much. L that Yeah Yeah. But no not tell us O obviously you're the best in the world. you're the safest things happen. He's already taken accountability a million times. This was all his.. But when you because you hadd come off surgery, you were feeling a little frright. I mean, I'd been off for months and then my first match back, but hey, don't don't let that fother you wr. Wow. Wow. It derailed a whole other championship run that I was scheduled for. I No. I totally messed. gracious my thoughts always is like especially working top talent of the company, like concerns, like I've never been like stiff or. I've always very careful Um, But for some reason, that one night when I wrestled him. Look, it was him because you were in the air He was it was that was You probably going say that you pulled me down and I heard this, right? You know, you know what I think what it was is because we I thought we were in in the middle of a really really good match. Yes. And I wanted to take I wanted to take a really good bump What you did. So I think I think what happened is is when when you came off then I I threw my legs up. and instead of where normally, you know, your ass would have hit me in the chest Yeah because of the angle that I was in you just landed a little higher and that was I don't I think I think it was me trying to to I hear that feeleing the moment more so than than anything. and I remember watching backstage and of adden you're sitting And you just s And like you because you see his nose like on the wrong side of his face like way over here on one cheek. Yeah and then of a sudden it goes somehat straight again. we're like, The problem was is when I stood up and there were three of you.. That was the picture do I pick I was like, I'm gonna go for the one in the middle and hopefully I can catch you. Yeah, he said, I don I don't know which frraid to catch. So I remember doing the Centon And then I was going to back up and hit the ropes and hit you, I believe with another one or a drop kick or something. Yeah. Yeah But then that eventually was leading into the finish. So so we were good. I felt horrible. I really I f feelt bad because I knew how bad you were going to feel. I was like, oh man, I don't even want to say anything. But yeah. it was I remember you saying at one point like You know how much I love you. and if you apologize one more time, then we're gonna have a problem. That's part obviously. It partart of the game. I tell you think for me, so surreal. Be I I've worked with a lot of people Uh, but just being out there for the first time with you and likeike just tucking down in that corner and watching your entrance like That was such a surreal moment for me. likeike I really was able to enjoy and soak that in older I've gotten The more nerves creep up on me, which it's crazy. L I want to go back to that feeling when I was excited and And I had no nerves. If I messed up, I messed up, I'd figuure it out. Now it's like my head is going crazy trying to figure out And that's not I was the same way. Okay. Yeah. No, at the end, especially because I worked so few times a year U, You know, when you're in the grind all the time, you just boom, you just go, you don't thinkever you screw something up, you just know how to fix it and you go on autopilot. Yeah. But when later on, like, so you go I would go into matches like did I did I train hard enough? Did I didid I get my conditioning Yeah good enough and do I feel, you know, because again, I was working with a lot of inergies too at the end. It was just like do I have enough in the tank, Right? Like all these this weird doub. Yeah the self doubt would come in. And then after the after the big concussion that I got rock at Mania. Yeah man, it was so difficult Because then like now I like becauseuse I couldn't explain how I got concussed But he wasn't don I don't think there was anything that he did I think it was just my body wasn't used to the trauma Right? because and again, at that point there, you know, there wasn't a lot of guys that could physically throw me around and makeakes sense Go back watching that. do you was there a certain moment? like no, there's not I can't I can tell P it out. I can tell Um I can tell by how I start moving. Yeah Because I come I became a little lethargic and less energy ' I was in good shape that year. R You know, I was just I could tell by my body language and how I was moving and interacting and that I'd become lethargic, but I can't set and watch it and go That it. Yeah.. I think it was just the accumulation of bumps that I wasn't prepared because I hadn't worked in a year Right. And then eventually it catches up to you. That is so crazy. Yeah. it just and then once that once the self doubt gets in there then it becomes man. man. because I remember I was wound height the next year when I worked with Bray Yeah, Dude, it was it was like I was a rookie. I had never What a bad feeling on it. Oh, it was awful. I've been doing this shit for forty years. like please. I mean, I've done all these different levels and all these and I think it was a lot of people like that picked up on it were like Or you thought they had picked up a m? No, no, no, no, I've had, you know a couple of conversations with people like Okay Tple H is one of them. Okay, okay. Yeah. He was like, dude, you're the he an undertaker. Yeah couldn't hear Like because I had like all I had in there was last year and yeah, you know, man, it was it took me It took me a while and I don't know that it ever it never really went away for the rest of my career. Right. I mean, I was able to, you know, dial in a couple of times Overall, it was it was always that it was always in the back of my brain and it blows people away. They like dude, you had this incredible career. Yeah. but it's still, what did I do last? Yeah. That was always the thought. it's just Yeah, it's crazy. but it happened at the end. Yeah and I think that's crazy because we have such I think we have such high expectations and high standards for ourselves right as performers, you know, that you don't you don't give yourself, I think grace. Yeah, right? You don't give yourself grace. I should be I should be that same guy that I was when I was when I was twenty eight, thirty, thirty, you know, but you just have to accept. You have to accept. You have to You have to accept it. And I couldn't do it. Yeah. I can do it now. Yeah. but I couldn't then. Yeah, right? So I mean, it's easy now. like, oh, okay, yeah, But up until what age you did you stop wrestling? I think I wrestled u til I was fif fifty four. I think. fifty four. Yeah. I wrestle a that twenty Yeah, Okay. I was about fif ye, I think I wrestled uil fifty four. I still got about ten years then. I said fifty four. Oh, ye. Yeah. about right. Yeah, Oh. That's why you wear that mask right.ard I'm coverred it oll love. Yeah, it's yeah ye. The mirror doesn't lie But yeah, it's just a matter of processing and accepting and Moving on. And again, you have to and I wish again, I would have had the presence of mind back then, but you have to you have to realize that your reflexes aren't as fast. Right You know So but there are still things that you can, okay, well, I can't do this that way, but I can do it I can do it this way. Yeah. right. So you have to kind of smoke and mirror it sometimes. Yeah. And I just don't really I being as hard headed I can do that. I can get I can I can, you know, I can get that lightning back in the bottle one more one more time, right? That was really one of the big problems that I had because I wanted that I wanted that signature statement. right. you know I mean, I got it in with AJ in the Boneyard, but I wanted that match in the ring where, you know, I was it was it was two thousand five again Right where I don't think you know, that in those areas, I don't feel like anybody could touch me. Right. And that's what I wanted. F rightight? Yeah that's what I wanted Yeah. And it is what it wasn't going to happen. and I was just not smart enough to figure that out. You're incredible, though, no. I mean J. For eighty nine to to twenty twenty six brother, you get around really well. You also got Keep in mind they like my Body weight compared to yours is which is a lot I think it's a lot less beating evenven though I I've had my what I was going to say Yeah for the bigger guys. I think that it's got to be much harder you know, for all the years they put in the business and u all the surgeries they've gone through Just The left one has gone through about fourteen of them. Holy. And the right one, just one, just one surgery and sometimes This one feels better than this one, which is crazy. That is crazy. Yeah. Yeah, this is only a meniscus tear. fix it, but this has also taken all the grind for both of them. whileile this one has been out.. This has done all the work. Yeah. Because of that are your hips good? Are hips? Hips are good. I'm just tight Yeah Re, really tight That's another thing that I do in the mornings. So I usually like to jump in the cold plunge, get out stretch and then go hit my cardio. but I get You're pretty bad at stretching sometimes. Nm not gonna to lie and I should do it more Yeah. If If I were to stretch every day at least five days a week, Um I would be Like I would be moving very loosely. Yeah. That's the only thing that I lack on. I'm the same way. Yeah. And I have a guy here that's just at my dispool and I take advantage tomy Sorry, bro. boy Uh A it's calling the boy, but he's yeah, he's amazing and I don't I don't even take advantage the way I should and my body is so than it is twisted steel like it gets so tight and I realize that when my knees hurt and they ache Okay, damn I didn't stretch today. And I'll take ten, fifteen minutes out of that time in the moment and I'll stretch I'll get up, start moving around And my pain is gone. It's like, so I know what I need to do. I just Don't apply it like I should. Which makes it more frustrating, hu? Yeah. Yeah. And then we wonder like we're like, w myself. Yeah. Comlain. Yeah. Yeah, that it's I will say that and she go, have you stretched? Like no know. Do I need to? Doly Are you ready to hold WWE history in the palm of your hand? Tops is bringing you closer to the action than ever before with WWE TOs Now Highlighting the biggest matches and milestones from WWE shows and PLEs throughout the year. TopS Now is enhancing the fan experience by connecting collectors to superstars and spectacles that ignite their passion. Faturing stunning event exclusive photography, each card is made for the moment. And for some lucky collectors, the moment could be the pull of a lifetime Along with serial numbered parallels, some Tops Now releases offer a chance at rare short prints, superstar autographs, and even pieces of the mat, gear or other items used during the featured match. So which moments will you collect? With each card only available for a limited time, you won't want to wait to begin your Tops Now journey Be sure to subscribe to WWE TopsS Now mailing list on topOs. com and follow TOs on all social media platforms so you never miss a single moment. Oh know his new kne's a new hip You got your hip hip replaced Well so I have so I had both hips done while I was still working Okay And you work after Yeah. I don't have I don't have full hip replacements. I have what they call. they're called Birmingham. Birmingham resurfaces they're they They took So they took the head of my femur. They they open me up and then they go in there and they clean it all off, get all the ot holes in and the spurs and all of that and they clean that all off and then they drill a hole into the end of the bone And then they put a titanium cap over the bone. same kind of material that they use on, you know as the replacement is. And then they go into the acetabulum into the hip. they do the same thing. They cleaned it all out and they hammer in a titanium cup and And it's incredible how well Like I could take the cap And put it in the cup. like the company sent me one so that I could have Yeah. and you could take it. It's like a top. You can spin it and thing will spin and you can w move it around. It's so it's incredibly machined and polished. Wow. So yeah, I did those. That's why I was able toah continue to keep working. doctor Edwin Sue at the hospital for Special surgeries in New York He he did him. He's incredible. He said, you know, when I did the first one, he goes He said, this willll be the biggest test that anybody has put because they hadd only been doing it for about ten years When I did the first one, right? And he was like This will be the biggest test that anybody has has put on these to see if they work because you were going to go back to work right? Yeah. Yeah. And that's what I told D he come to us? Did he come watch? Yeah, he came he came to me. Yeah Yeah. He came to manania after just to see And like I've had zero and this that was twenty ten was one of them. Yeah, so I'm w. Yeah. So I had one done Yeah, in twenty ten and then a few years later, I had the other one done. And they both feel the same. And they both feel I mean they theyve feel no issues whatsoever. he woke up in the hospital, vividly remember Not having any pain. He's like, oh my gosh, why didn't I do this soon? Like he had zero pain in his Yeah for being for being in chronic pain R over a decade to waking up and it' like, it's all gone. How bad B your hips. Oh they were were They were had bad. Oh, they were awful. Yeah. What about your knees? My knees were same. Yeah, both of them were really, really, really bad. And I think my knees were direct for my hips. Okaykay, because the way I would walk and, you know, he kind of threw everything off and Yeah. You know, both of them were way, way overdue. Like, you know, I was I went years being in pain and I I couldn't withith the knees though, like I had to wait tillil I was done because I don't think right I could have worked with knes. Yeah. I've always heard that it's hard to get a knee replacement Yeah, it work. Yeah I mean, for me, it's like thank God for stem cells because Like, yeah, my knee aches and hurts every now and then. but not to the extent that that sidelines w. I'm really thinking about replacing it. And I've gone through a lot of them. so U I guess stem cells have really It's been a game changer for me. Are you Are you still going whereere you go Combia or So that was the very first place I went to, Bio accelerator. Right. And there was a bunch of us that went there at time This was u Early twenty twenties Maybe twenty nineteen. and u It just That was like the first time Ive My body had received like a Full dosage talking in the millions Um, so my body reacted very well to it within about I want to say almost two and a half to three months like fromr being in chronic pain, it was to No pain whatsoever. like completely gone. and roughly that lasted for about three years like pain free, one hundred percent. My carpal tunnel I remember telling him, have you guys done anything for carpatonone? He goes, No, let's try it out. Let's see. it was still like under development or you could say let let's figure out you know, how much it would work in certain areas. So it completely took away my carpal tunnel for almost three years. and I was sleeping waking up in the middle of night two, three times because my hand We're just go to sleep completely to the point where it would wake me up. But that was again Ething has been on stem cells.. And then now obviously back then, peeptides weren't around now now with the peepides and with the coal plunge and with the sauna and the red light it's like so many so much biohacking? Yes, that You know, you're helping your progress, your longevity in general, not just in the ring, but overall. Yeah. You know, your health eating correctly, all that stuff, like that's all huge. Yeah A huge important factor that that yeah, I feel like I feel like a guinea pig around here. she is the queen of biohacks, right? Like anythingthing that comes along, we have a re red light, anything, the cold plunge, obviously, all these things come down, the peptides, everything that comes in she'll just, you know You need to take this. You need to do this. She take it though Oh, yeah Oh yo yeah. okay. Yeah. you know as bad as like, I'll just Our kids see, I mean, I'm just like Yeah, Get up Yeahet out the toades. I know I need to clear it up. Angie's the same way. Yeah. L shes she's my chef. She's my I'm not a chef. She's my chef. She's my doctor. She's always you got to take these supplements, everything's all Saxon. Yes. So she's on top of my health like I thought you were going to be like her like when it's time for her to take care of her health She's too busy taking care of everyone that she forgets about herself Y. That does Got to do these things with me so. Yeah. I'm still struggling with her, but She's doing a better job. It happens. I certainly don't take them every day like I should at all take them. You take them atast. Yeah. ye. yeah. ye They everythingverything, you know, we're talking about health and, you know, the things that we have to do to keep us U you know, keep our motors running. Right. You've got what a thirty, what four year career. You've done everything there is to do And what What's left for Ray Mysterio? manan, recently I've been asking myself that question Angie and I will sit down and kind of like, what is there left to do? There's really nothing left to do. There was really never a list of things that we needed to do or accomplish A Obviously when your career starts expanding and panning out the way it has, it's like, wow, this We've been more than blessed with everything that we have and have done obbviously, right now U, to be able to see Uh, my daughter now be able to grow and kind of be there for her since I was gone for so long, just like I was with Dom, you know, being on the road they know they can both count on me whenever they want. So being there for Alah, if she ever needs any guidance or advice or anything that can help her push forward to following this dream that she has right now. And again, she might be there for a year and she might say, Dad, I thought this was for me and maybe it's not. So I said, Don't feel pressured that you have to be here. This is It's got to come from in here.. You got to feel it. And the other thing is being able to pass down some of the knowledge that I've gotten over the years, you know, especially being down in AAA, you know, the company where everything pretty much began for me. My first opportunity to to be on national television. If there's anything I can do, pass on, help, create, you know, thats that's a win for me. paying back A little bit of of the much that they gave me. So R. Yeah. So being the greatest mask wrestler of all time In your opinion, I don't want to put you on the spot But who's the next Great, Luchador Wow, I see so many and coming stars and like at the time Dragon was right by my side and I see a lot of similarities U U in Dragon Lee that that I had growing up and being part of this business. like he's always willing to learn, asking for advice, lot a lot of very mystero is in him I love him by the way. ye. when he comesng kid Yeah he's such a good de and always wanting to do the best he. Yeah, that he can, right? Yeah. I was telling Andie, I said he reminds me so much. and and I've been able to to hang out with him and his family outside of the wrestling world and to see the time and dedication that he gives his wife and his two little girls is like, man, I I envy that because I wasn't like that when I was twenty nine years old. You know, so that's like. props to him like I really admire him for having his head straight on his shoulders and walking the right path and doing the right things, not just for him, but to provide for his family. That speaks highly of who he is. But Dragon Lee, then Pana comes along and I see Pana and I'm like, whoa Pana's brother, Ray Fennix is incredible as well. Like it's just There's so many names you can pick And you can say, o these guys are the next guys. R. Who's gonna be the one That's gonna be up to them And I think P answer Pent's going Penta's already figuring it out. Yeah, you know, and I mean, whoo can help you out and being the next guy, you just have to put in work and Learn and he knows that I'll be here if he ever gets stuck with anything to help him out. I can only guide him so much and he has to do the rest. Yeah. I think he has a really like a really cool approach because he's separating himself. Yes. I think he stands he stands out from the other guys Y just because of his personality and things like that. Yeah. So yeah, you can definitely tell that he's he's thinking differently. Yes. And I think he's had that from day one, even before he came to to WWE like from AAA to wherever he's been like he's had this concept of what it is to stand out in his mind that it has definitely stamped everybody with his name. So yeah, and he's such an incredible wrestler too. Yes. incredible. Ver Um very original, very creative and you know, it was always on top of things. So right That's yeah It's going to be fun to watch to see who the Yeah next Ray Mysterio I think we're seeing them now Yeah. No there's there's some some really talented dudes out there that that are exciting and fun to watch and bringing that that that Lucha style. Yeah, which is it's crazy. Like, you know, I was like you can be a fan of it, but it's just like, ye, it's not my it's it's not my bag, right? Right Right. I have to I have to admit that it's really It's growing, it's really growing on me, man. and watch those guys do their thing and it's just like, I don't know how they did that and got up. Do you feel like the sport has completely done a three hundred and sixty and Like the style has completely shifted it to a different style or is it just like when you see the Lu Chalre stuff is when you get to see the high flyinger. Well I think what they're doing it's not just high flying now. What I can see happening and what we're trying to do is have that Lucia style And then also wrap a story around it And you when you can combine instead of it just being a spectacle and having two dudes you know do these incredible moves, if we can wrap a story inside of it make all that makes sense, I think that's going to be a win win and a huge growth opportunity for people For the business in general You know, the business has definitely changed. Yeah. And I think In a lot of ways, it's changed for the good but I still think there's a lot of elements that have gotten lost. Yeah. within the storytelling part of it. againain If we can if we can figure out a way to combine it all and make things make a little more sense. Yeah. you know, I think man, the wrestling business is going to be it's going to continue to grow and you know, I mean, the talent is there. It's just I think, you know, a little bit of reining in a little bit. Yeah and wrap some more story. I think man, it's exciting. Yeah it's got to be. It's got to be for you, especially, you know, being able to to deal with a completely different roster than you're accustomed to. And the fact that again, you walk in there and you don't think nothing of it, but they look at you like He's our boss. Like he's our boss. Like that in what the hell does this guy know about Lua Libre? They would never have I heard that. Never, never. They respect your work, Take. But it is cool to see the evolution and I know exactly what you're saying about like a lot of elements have been lost And as you were saying that, I was thinking of a couple that I've spoken to some of the talent that comes from here over to the AAA shows, Joaquin Wild being one of them. and I told him, said if you can just add this to this, You're going to bring that back. That's never been seen or done before here. So what old can be new again? Of course It always is. Yeah. Yeah It always is. So that's very, very exciting time to be u Um Head of AAA and GM of TA. R? It machine is a crazy position. No no. It's crazy. The amount The phone calls and text that I get, I can imagine. Me too, just for you. Pe Yeah wanting to come down R. Yeah. I was like I've been blown away. like it's like It is never ending and I'll look at them and I'll think, oh man, they're ribing me. Just randomly texted. Just randomly texted. Hey, man. if. I wouldm have put you on a covert recruiting mission. Hey go someone and so's trailer and see what they're doing there. But no man Yeah. How's the I know you were doing a An animated series. Are we making progress with? So we We release are it's ray mysterial versus the darkness. We released it in twenty twenty three December of twenty twenty three, we released T episode One season ten episode showow of an animated cartoon that we created and December of twenty three, we released five episodes and then in February, Of twenty four, we released the other five. and it's out in Latin America. At the time they were going through some sales and purchases with with Cartoon Network and Latin America and And we kind of got lost in the transition. so What we're doing now is we bought the project ourselves. We are trying to bring it over to the U.S. and see if we can find the right partnership to be able to display. You know, a lot of the of the fans that have seen it really love this. So feedback is always very helpful that we know if we're going the right direction or not, but it it's Ray Mysterial versus the Darkness. We're looking for a distributor here in the States. you know, animation, bro, that' that's the ticket,. It's than it's better than real movies. That so long to take too. was so time consuming. I did all the voiceovers for all the ten episodes in English and in Spanish. They said, all let's doom in English too So when we do come over to the state, so Everything's all done. All we need to do is just shop it around. but yeah